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Cartographer
"Hmm... What an interesting anomoly. The details of the coastline suggest an inlet along this stretch. Perhaps we could land there and I could map out the interior?" Basic (New) Cartographers chart the lay of the land for rich patrons, hardy explorers, and collectors. They accompany expeditions into the wild but also transpose the shoddy work of others into a more readable form. Maps in the Old World are notoriously unreliable – whether they are surveys of local trails, ambitious region wide guides, or the mainly fictional representations of the Old World itself. Yet the services of Cartographers are still in great demand. Main Profile Secondary Profile Skills: Academic Knowledge (geography), Navigation, Outdoor Survival or Ride, Perception, Read/Write, Speak Language (any 2), Trade (cartography) Talents: Excellent Vision, Orientation, Seasoned Traveller or Super Numerate Trappings: Writing Kit, Pony with saddle & harness, 1d10 map cases Career Entries Coachman, Messenger, Navigator, Scout, Scribe, Student, Tradesman Career Exits Artisan, Explorer, Forger, Navigator, Scholar, Scribe, Vagabond Lost The man bundled down the dune, kicking up sand in an effort to re-find his footing, but failing. He rolled again and again, his pack coming loose and spilling its contents onto the burning sand. Finally he came to rest at the foot of the dune and settled in a heap. After a few moments, he stirred. The traveller’s lips were thin and his features gaunt from lack of water. His face was burned red and blistered from the sun. He did not remember losing his wide-brimmed hat; it must have gone some time earlier that day. He reached for his water skin and held it to his lips. Only a few meagre drops found its way into his parched mouth. In the glaring light, the man scrambled back up the yielding sand, towards his pack. Digging around he found what he was looking for. He unrolled the large scroll of parchment and inspected it. He did notunderstand. His navigation should have been flawless. It was clearly marked on his map, the river valley that led across the great desert, with its oases and glades, its villages and roads, and its elephants. They were all clearly marked, but he had found no sign of them. The man noted the map-makers name in a legend at the corner of the map; Kurt Brombeer, Bergsburg, Hochland, it stated. If that was as accurate as the rest of the map, then it was hardly likely this man even existed, but still he cursed that name with his dying breath. Here be Dragons Alois Krause’s motto is ‘Give them what they want.’ If they are looking for treasure, he can come up with a treasure map; if they want a short cut through the mountains, he will deliver. He is a talented cartogrpaher with an artistic flourish, but he has never been known to let the truth get in the way of a good map. Surprisingly, he finds that the more outlandish his maps, the more fanciful the details, the more willing some gullible fool will be to pay for it. And so he makes his living doing what he enjoys without having to go to the trouble of tedious groundwork like research or surveying. But he is modest, too. He never takes the credit for his works of art, preferring to sign them on behalf of more credible and reputed cartographers from around the Empire and beyond.